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passat wagon car carrier - rack bag - luggage cover

i am driving 2200 miles in my passat wagon and wanted to know if anyone has put a car carrier / rack bag on the wagon or could make a recommendation for a good brand. since the passat wagon is a 2 way rack i need a little advice on how to it all works. i also have a sunroof and the distance that is free from the sunroof to the antenna is about 45"
im looking at this site:http://roofbag.com/ExplorerGray.asp
and a bunch on ebay.
thanks in advance!

Re: (leroyal)

you had me at turtle but lost me at the 'bolting' part. how did you do that. you are talking to a girl, and although im industrious you might have to explain ... slower
is your car a 4 way roof rack or 2 way?

Re: passat wagon car carrier - rack bag - luggage cover (woozy)

I got a set of Thule cross bars that clamp onto the roof rails on our wagon. Both Thule and Yakima have feet that will clamp on the roof rails.
Then I put a Thule box on top of that, the 16 cubic foot one I think. The sunroof still works fine, no problem. Depending on the size of the roof box, you might have to remove the antenna (it just unscrews).
You'll want to put the bars as far apart as you can if you have a roof box to minimize the box rocking forward and backward at speed.
Drove cross-country with this setup (and two bikes) on the roof with no problem. It does cut into your mileage about 2-3MPG (we were averaging 75MPH on the trip meter).
-Fab

Re: passat wagon car carrier - rack bag - luggage cover (ftillier)

I am definitely impressed with the Thule products. The crossbars are out of my budget Im afraid, but I will look at the other options. I am also considering this item:http://www.backcountry.com/sto....html
on sale 80 bux.
do you think i can get away with something like this without crossbars?
thank you!

Re: passat wagon car carrier - rack bag - luggage cover (woozy)

if you purchase the crossbar/racks from vw like i did,same price at the time as the thule brand.it comes w/ the rec fac specs for install w/the correct cross bar placement and toque tool and key locks,etc.never tried cover,although i wouldlike to try the airfoil but
vw dosnt make one,and the thulle didnt fit right

Re: passat wagon car carrier - rack bag - luggage cover (rlgirsch)

$256 is just not affordable for me at this time .. with the expense of moving im tapped out. all my belongings are going by movers.
the reason im doing this at all is so my two dogs have the entire back of the wagon to themselves for the journey (dallas > seattle). im thinking this is getting too complicated and i might just have to take up some space inside the wagon for a couple of pieces of luggage. ugh.
why have a luggage rack at all?

Re: passat wagon car carrier - rack bag - luggage cover (woozy)

Have you considered buying used? I don't know if you can find a store that sells used racks or not, but it's worth looking. You probably won't find the feet, but the cross bars you should be able to pick up for cheap.
I would think that for a bag, you want cross bars of some sort, just to give support so it doesn't rest on the roof of the car.
Note that if you're feeling adventurous and know how to tie knots, you could go with the ghetto cross bars - a 2x4 from home depot cut in half so you have 2 4ft sections. Some rope to hold it down and you're good to go. Don't use crappy twine to hold it together. You should be able to rig something for $10 - if it's a one-time think so you can move, it might be worth it.
If you want to spend the big bucks, you can probably even rig a clamping system using some metal brace and lag bolts. I have a vision in my head but it's really hard to explain in text. Imagine the 2x4 going across the car, over the roof rails. You need something to clamp them against the roof rail so they don't go flopping around. Get a straight metal bracket (in the fasteners isle, for connecting lumber together), you want a piece at least 4" long. Get a few lag bolts, 3" should do. Drill a hole on both ends of the metal brace, space it so the middle of the brace goes under the roof rail where the 2x4 is above, and mark the holes for the lag bolts. Take an old sock and wrap it around the metal so it doesn't nick the bottom of the roof rail. Pre-drill pilot holes for the lag bolts, and instlal the inboard one through the metal brace. Don't thighten it snug, but make it so the distance between the 2x4 and the metal brace is the same as the height of the roof rail. Swing the metal braces perpendicular to the 2x4 and place the contraption on car, swing the braces under the roof rails, make sure the sock padding is in place and covers the edges, and install second lag bolt. Tighten lag bolts until the bar is nice and tight and won't move when you push/pull on it.
-Fab

Re: passat wagon car carrier - rack bag - luggage cover (ftillier)

fab .. very good suggestions! not sure if i have the talent or time though.
how does this look:http://www.backcountry.com/sto....html
the reviewer below said they used it on an '01 wagon without any crossbars. thoughts?